[Jpfish]

I'm starting to plan my trip to Bozeman in September. Last year I paid to stay in a hotel. This year I'm trying to avoid that extra $500 by camping somewhere. I'll be there about 5 nights so I'll have extra waders, rods, reels, etc. So my question is, when camping, what do you do with your extra gear while out fishing? I really don't feel comfortable leaving all my gear sitting at a camp site or in the trunk of a car when fishing all day. Do I really have any options besides hotel or just chancing it at a camp ground?
Thanks
Joel

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

Joel -

By camping, I assume you mean in a tent? Then, the other question is: where do you plan to camp?

Although it has been a number of years since I did a lot of tent camping in the Bozeman area, when I did, I always took valuables, such as fly fishing gear, with me and locked it in my car when I was fishing, and never had anything stolen. I left my other things, like sleeping bag inside my tent, and I probably left things like my cook stove and lantern outside just as I used them.

There are several private campgrounds in the Bozeman area, and if you stay at one of them, I'm pretty sure you won't have any problems. (A good friend owns and operates a large RV park on the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley and told me last summer he has never had a single thing stolen from there in 20 years.). If you are planning on camping in more out of the way, isolated spots, I'd be a bit more cautious.

Another thought, if you are really worried about leaving things unattended while you are away during the day, there are a multitude of self storage places in and around Bozeman. I suppose you might be able to find a place that would rent a small unit to you for a short time (for example, one of these places in Belgrade stores cars for people who fly from the airport, rather than leaving them in the open airport parking lots, so they certainly do short term rentals.)

John

 

[Jpfish]

Joel -

By camping, I assume you mean in a tent? Then, the other question is: where do you plan to camp?

Although it has been a number of years since I did a lot of tent camping in the Bozeman area, when I did, I always took valuables, such as fly fishing gear, with me and locked it in my car when I was fishing, and never had anything stolen. I left my other things, like sleeping bag inside my tent, and I probably left things like my cook stove and lantern outside just as I used them.

There are several private campgrounds in the Bozeman area, and if you stay at one of them, I'm pretty sure you won't have any problems. (A good friend owns and operates a large RV park on the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley and told me last summer he has never had a single thing stolen from there in 20 years.). If you are planning on camping in more out of the way, isolated spots, I'd be a bit more cautious.

Another thought, if you are really worried about leaving things unattended while you are away during the day, there are a multitude of self storage places in and around Bozeman. I suppose you might be able to find a place that would rent a small unit to you for a short time (for example, one of these places in Belgrade stores cars for people who fly from the airport, rather than leaving them in the open airport parking lots, so they certainly do short term rentals.)

John

I don't have a place picked out to camp yet. I'll be checking around soon to see what options I have.
Thanks

 

[Guest]

I don't spend much time in the Bozeman area, but west of the Divide and along the front range, I've left thousands of dollars worth of gear in both my vehicle and my tent and never had a problem.

When I guided on the Missouri, Smith, and Blackfoot, the takeouts were often remote and out of sight. I parked my vehicle there with all sorts of fly fishing gear in them without an incident. On the Smith my rig would sit there for days.

That's not to say it can't happen, but Montana isn't Seattle. Most people here own guns and even the tweakers don't want to end up aired out.

Trapper

 

[Freestone]

I leave stuff in the car but not in plain sight. If I am in a sketchy area and/or have lots of valuable stuff in there, I have been known to put a PacSafe on my gear bag. It gives me the peace of mind to enjoy my day as I know it will foil any thief without bolt cutters. There is always some place in a car to run the cable around. In a trunk, I loop it through one of the arms on the trunk lid or the seat hardware.

I used one on a 15 month around the world trip and it saved my pack from thieves more than once. I caught some guys red-handed once and was glad I decided to put two locks on it that day.

http://www.pacsafe.com/travel-accessories-wallets/backpack-bag-protectors.html

 

[Guest]

Freestone. That's a pretty amazing tool. I'd never heard of it.

Is gear theft in washington and Oregon a common occurence?

 

[Freestone]

Freestone. That's a pretty amazing tool. I'd never heard of it.

Is gear theft in washington and Oregon a common occurence?

Not as much where I live and fish in the central part of the state. But it's a bigger problem in the metropolitan areas and nearby towns, especially at trailheads and water access areas.

 

[Sportsman]

Freestone. That's a pretty amazing tool. I'd never heard of it.

Is gear theft in washington and Oregon a common occurence?

More than common on the 'world famous' Cedar River.....and it runs along a very busy highway, golf course...basically in town. Farther up river at some of the more remote pullouts it's best to leave nothing and your rig unlocked!

 

[Guest]

Freestone. That's a pretty amazing tool. I'd never heard of it.

Is gear theft in washington and Oregon a common occurence?

about two years ago I had my catalytic converter stolen from under the Tacoma pickup once and on two other occasions the exhaust pipe was partially cut open by people trying to steal stuff while I was fishing ,all in about a three week time during the silver salmon season. kind of dims ones enthusiasm for fishing !!!!

 

[JesseC]

I've had stuff stolen from a truck on the Yakima. And had over $2k worth stolen from the bainbridge ferry parking lot.

Never had anything stolen during the 10 years I was downtown. Go figure.

Pacsafe looks cool!

 

[seattlesetters]

I once was in a camp on a rather well-known fly fishing river in Central California with four buddies. We had arrived earlier that day and fished the evening rise together then had the usual tri-tip cookout with multiple beers and sundowners that is common when buddies get together for a fishing trip. After the festivities, we all retired to our tents, leaving our rigged fly rods leaning against trees right outside our tent doors.

Fast forward to daybreak. I get up more to start the coffee than anything else but also to go cast a line all by myself on the river. This river is well-known for having banker's hours and the bite usually doesn't get on until around 10:00 a.m. but I wanted some solitude and to enjoy the sunrise. Well, 11 rigged fly rods were gone. Three were mine: a Sage 390 XP, a Sage 590 XP and a Scott G 844/5. All had top-notch reels attached.

Someone came into our camp while we slept and took rods that were literally 10' away from us. Ballsy, for sure.

 

[Batt B]

Few years back, a buddy and I were on a two weeker in MT. We were camped at the salmonfly access on the big hole, broke camp, packed and left to go up to divide for the day's float. We are about to launch when I realized we had left all our rigged rods at the site, where I had put them safely out of the way for packing. When we got back there at least an hour after leaving they were as we left them.

When I'm not being a total dumkopf I lock stuff in the rig. Never had an issue in MT. Wish I could say the same for WA.

 

[Guest]

Freestone. That's a pretty amazing tool. I'd never heard of it.

Is gear theft in washington and Oregon a common occurence?

Yeah, come to Seattle area during the humpy season & if it is like the last few years I could not keep the catalilytic converter on my truck from disappearing !

 

[13223]

Someone came into our camp while we slept and took rods that were literally 10' away from us. Ballsy, for sure.

I lock my fully rigged rods in a snowboard rack for this very reason. I know several people with similar stories while sleeping up at Chopaka.

 

[Donato]

Never had anyone steal anything at chopaka in 15 yr of fishing there and never heard about some one getting their stuff stolen. WOW what's the world coming to?

 

[philipodell]

Joel -

By camping, I assume you mean in a tent? Then, the other question is: where do you plan to camp?

Although it has been a number of years since I did a lot of tent camping in the Bozeman area, when I did, I always took weight loss pills from here http://ohdivinehealth.com/phenq-review/, such as fly fishing gear, with me and locked it in my car when I was fishing, and never had anything stolen. I left my other things, like sleeping bag inside my tent, and I probably left things like my cook stove and lantern outside just as I used them.

There are several private campgrounds in the Bozeman area, and if you stay at one of them, I'm pretty sure you won't have any problems. (A good friend owns and operates a large RV park on the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley and told me last summer he has never had a single thing stolen from there in 20 years.). If you are planning on camping in more out of the way, isolated spots, I'd be a bit more cautious.

Another thought, if you are really worried about leaving things unattended while you are away during the day, there are a multitude of self storage places in and around Bozeman. I suppose you might be able to find a place that would rent a small unit to you for a short time (for example, one of these places in Belgrade stores cars for people who fly from the airport, rather than leaving them in the open airport parking lots, so they certainly do short term rentals.)

John

I have a friend who is camping addicted, he has been number of times to Bozeman area, and had also never experienced any theft.
Photographs are looking really good. I am thinking to go there in near future. I would prefer private campgrounds any day.